The dream encyclopedia

Dreams are the theaters of our subconscious. Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "The Dream Encyclopedia" is a guide to interpreting dreams, whether it be by one who is curious about what their mind is trying to tell them, a psychologist, or simply one who wants something interesting to talk about with friends. Tackling nearly three hundred topics that commonly occur in dreams and offering interpretations for each of them, "The Dream Encyclopedia" breaks down each symbol and explains why one's mileage may vary on certain symbols. Offering much food for thought, "The Dream Encyclopedia" is very much recommended to the curious or professional reader.

This book is my primary dream dictionary. Although it is true that there are more extensive dream symbol dictionaries out there, I have found that the symbols given in this volume are more universal in nature. Examples of this would be spiders, mushrooms, volcanoes, violence, and cars are in the dictionary section, but earthworms, or specific breeds of animals or niche things in society are not. This volume takes the perspective that dream symbols are revealed by the background of the dreamer, thus it goes into detail on the backgrounds on religions, religious figures and shamanism. It also goes into detail about how one's geography influences dream. To be used properly, this book should be read then one should use the 100 page dream symbol dictionary. I find this book very useful.

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to deepen their study of dreams. It is filled with entries that give historical, cultural, even psychological insight into our dreams. I find most dream encyclopedias limiting, because they are too general about the meanings of dreams. They don't take into account a person's experiences. A nameless book I found in England, for example, explains what a Negro represents in a dream. I found that information irrelevant and offensive. This book does have a brief section on dream symbols. I refer to it from time to time, but only as a reference. In my 20 years of dream work, I have found that the best source for dream symbols is the individual dreamer. You don't need a dictionary, unless you simply want to be entertained. After I bought this book, I tossed every other dream book I had.

An excellent resource for any lay person looking for infomation on dream meanings and symbols!